How Robots Can Help During a Pandemic

COVID-19 is having a profound impact on the way we do things, especially the way we clean. Many businesses are implementing enhanced cleaning procedures following CDC and public health guidelines in order to make changes that benefit the health of people.

The change in standards is requiring more time to be dedicated to these new requirements leaving businesses in a tough situation. Businesses cannot exceed standard working hours of their staff and cannot find qualified employees in large numbers to take on these additional tasks. So, what are businesses to do?

This is a time where businesses are realizing existing technologies like robots can be better integrated into the day to day workforce. Specifically, cleaning automation equipment can help aid staff during this critical time to meet enhanced cleaning and implement social distancing.

Here are five ways automated cleaning equipment can help during COVID-19:

Enhanced Productivity

With new standards in place, cleaning teams have more work to be completed each day. Cleaning staff are finding it difficult to complete new cleaning tasks in addition to their standard cleaning checklists in the same amount of time. New expectations and continuous changes make it near impossible to get all of the work done.

Automation can help improve productivity and efficiency. For example, Whiz, the autonomous vacuum sweeper produced by ICE Cobotics & SoftBank Robotics, and EMMA, ICE Cobotics' autonomous floor scrubber, can help take the burden off staff by cleaning the floors so staff focus on sanitizing and disinfecting other surfaces.

Whiz and EMMA are built with a safety-first approach. Both autonomous machines have advanced navigation features powdered by Brain OS. Their advanced sensors give them the capability to navigate real world complexities and moving environments letting them work efficiently around shoppers, staff, and property.

Social Distancing

Not only can robots help offload cleanings tasks, but they help keep employees safe.

Social Distancing has been highly advised by the U.S. government in all parts of the country as COVID 19 continues to spread. Social distancing means staying at least six feet from another person.

Robots can help your cleaning staff remain at a healthy distance from other humans while performing cleaning tasks and completing the cleaning checklist.

In order to follow social distancing advisements, ICE Cobotics is offering virtual deployment to train your staff on how to set up Whiz. Our virtual deployment includes quick start guides and short How-To videos from unboxing Whiz, to setting up its automated routes, to storing Whiz.

Our Client Care Team is always a phone call or email away to answer any questions you or your staff may have about operating the equipment.

Consistent Cleaning

With robotics you are guaranteed a consistent and frequent clean with standardized routing. After manually teaching the Whiz a route one time, it is a simple press of a button each day after that. You can run Whiz as frequently as you’d like without having to worry about long hours and exhaustion. Automation ensures reliable and frequent floor care.

Confirmed Clean

At times, facility managers are often left worrying if the building was fully cleaned and up to new standards.

Through WhizConnect and i-Synergy, cloud-enabled AI systems within ICE Cobotics' & SoftBank Robotics' automated cleaning equipment, facility managers have full access to performance history for each machine including, how, when, and where cleaning was performed. These systems bring analytics to cleaning, helping you rest easy and demonstrate confirmed clean to necessary stakeholders.

Overcoming Labor Shortages

With Corona Virus cases continuing to rise, we are facing the highest unemployment numbers in decades. The combination of regular absenteeism and now an uptick in employee sick leave, has made keeping a full staff extremely challenging.

Regardless of absenteeism and sick leave, buildings still need to be cleaned and now, more than ever, sanitized and disinfected in addition to regular cleans. There is a major need for staffing help to meet cleaning requirements. Let Automation help meet those needs with reliable and frequent cleans.

How We Think About Cleaning Has Changed

COVID-19 may be the tipping point for the cleaning industry, helping us all realize how important a consistent and clean environment is and how robotics can help. As a society, we must maintain these new clean standards moving forward to prevent future pandemics.

Now is the time to lean into automation. At ICE Cobotics we are dedicated to helping businesses during this crisis and beyond through offering aid through autonomous cleaning equipment.